Touch probes are devices known for uses such as measuring objects, determining positions of and defining shapes of work pieces, edges, hole centers and contours. There are many types of these devices available on the market. But, these devices can have complicated internal workings, which increase manufacturing costs and limit miniaturization of the device. With the increase capabilities in computers and software it is possible to transfer some of the complicated features away from the probe itself.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a touch probe which can be made smaller, which simplifies manufacture and which reduces the cost to manufacture.
The present invention is a touch probe which can be connected to a computer controlled machine for determining positions of and defining shapes of work pieces, edges, hole centers and contours. The probe due to it design allows for a simpler and effective alternative to previous probes. The probe includes a body, stylus, a shank and an internal assembly. The body contains the internal assembly, which provide signals to a computer. The arrangement of the internal assembly is what makes the present invention simpler to manufacture and allow the probe to be miniaturized. The internal assembly includes an upper circuit board with a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a spring, a spring cap, a stylus mount, a housing, carbide balls, a lower circuit board, a support ring and wires.